Key points
- A cardiac diet is an eating pattern, not a menu. Vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, fish, a little olive oil and nuts, and little salt or processed food protect the heart and fill you up for fewer calories.
- Weight loss diets save lives over time. A review of 54 trials in adults with obesity found about 18% fewer deaths from any cause in people who followed a weight-reducing diet.
- The pattern matters after a heart attack. In two trials in people who already had heart disease, a Mediterranean-style diet led to fewer new heart problems than the comparison diet.
- Salt is the quickest lever. Less salt together with a fruit-and-vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure most in a feeding trial of 412 adults.
- Cardiac rehab plus more walking helps the scale. A rehab programme with longer, more frequent walks roughly doubled weight loss in overweight heart patients.
- Your heart team comes first. Talk to your cardiologist or rehab team before you change food or exercise, never change a heart medicine yourself, and follow their personal salt and fluid advice if you have heart failure.
Cardiac diet for weight loss: the short answer
A cardiac diet for weight loss means eating the foods that protect your heart, in amounts that let your weight come down slowly. It is the same heart-friendly pattern doctors advise after a heart attack or with coronary disease, with slightly smaller portions and fewer snacks.
The word “cardiac diet” is used loosely online. Heart guidelines describe much the same thing: mostly plants, beans and whole grains, fish and lean protein, small amounts of olive oil and nuts, and little salt, processed meat, sweets or sugary drinks.
A review of the latest American guideline for chronic coronary disease sums it up as a plant-focused, Mediterranean-style pattern with more vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, whole grains and lean protein. The same review notes that keeping sodium below 2,300 mg a day, about 5.8 g of salt, lowers blood pressure and heart risk.
Why the same pattern helps you lose weight
Vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains hold a lot of water and fibre, so a full plate brings fewer calories. Fish, chicken, beans and plain yogurt add protein, which keeps hunger away until the next meal.
When you also cut back on fried food, pastries, crisps and sugary drinks, you usually eat a few hundred calories a day less without feeling starved. That gap, kept up for months, is what moves the scale.
The reward is worth the effort. A BMJ review of 54 randomised trials with 30,206 adults living with obesity found that weight-reducing diets, mostly lower in fat, cut deaths from any cause by about 18%. The effect on heart deaths alone was smaller and not certain, which the authors stated openly.
Talk to your doctor, cardiologist or cardiac rehab team first before you change what you eat. Keep taking every heart medicine exactly as prescribed; only your doctor can adjust a dose when your weight or blood pressure changes.
How extra weight strains the heart, and what losing weight changes
Extra weight makes the heart work harder and pushes several risk factors in the wrong direction at once. Losing even part of it usually moves them back, which is why heart teams encourage steady weight loss in most people who carry extra weight.
The table shows the main risk factors, what weight loss tends to do and where we explain each one in detail. We keep this page on food and walking for people who already have heart disease, so we do not repeat those pages here.
| Risk factor | What weight loss usually does | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure | Falls, often by several points, especially with less salt | Obesity and the heart |
| Cholesterol and blood fats | Triglycerides drop quickly; LDL improves with less saturated fat | Cholesterol and weight loss |
| Blood sugar | Becomes easier to control, sometimes with fewer medicines (your doctor decides) | Insulin resistance |
| Heart rhythm | Fewer and milder episodes of an irregular rhythm in many people | AFib and weight loss |
| Night-time breathing pauses | Often fewer and milder, which eases strain on the heart at night | Sleep apnea and weight loss |
None of these changes replaces the care you get from your doctor. They add to it, and they often make the heart’s job a little lighter every day.
What the trials show for heart patients
Trials in people with heart disease or a high heart risk show two things: the type of food matters, and so does how much weight you lose. The table lists the studies we used, with their design, so you can see how strong each finding is.
| Study | Who took part | What was tested | Result | Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon Diet Heart Study | People after a first heart attack, followed for about 4 years | Mediterranean-type diet versus a “prudent” Western diet | 14 versus 44 heart deaths or new heart attacks | Randomised trial |
| CORDIOPREV | 1,002 people with coronary heart disease (82.5% men), 7 years | Mediterranean diet versus a low-fat diet | 87 versus 111 major heart and blood vessel events; about 25 to 28% lower risk | Randomised trial |
| Look AHEAD | 5,145 adults with type 2 diabetes and extra weight, about 9.6 years | Intensive help with food and activity versus education | Risk factors improved, but heart events did not fall overall | Randomised trial |
| Look AHEAD follow-up analysis | 4,834 of the same adults | How much weight people lost in year one | 10% or more lost: about 21% fewer heart events than stable weight | Post-hoc, observational |
| Weight loss diet review (Ma) | 30,206 adults with obesity in 54 trials | Weight-reducing diets versus no diet programme | About 18% fewer deaths from any cause | Meta-analysis of trials |
Two diet trials in people who already had heart disease
The Lyon Diet Heart Study in France tested a Mediterranean-type diet after a first heart attack. Over about four years, the combined number of heart deaths and new heart attacks was 14 in the Mediterranean group against 44 in the comparison group. It was a small, older trial, but the gap was large.
CORDIOPREV in Córdoba, Spain, compared two healthy diets in 1,002 people with coronary heart disease over seven years. Major events happened in 87 people on the Mediterranean diet and 111 on the low-fat diet, with adjusted risk about a quarter lower. The benefit was clear in men; the 175 women were too few to show a difference.
Look AHEAD: an honest result
Look AHEAD gave 5,145 adults with type 2 diabetes and extra weight intensive help with food and activity, or diabetes education. After one year the intervention group had lost 8.6% of their weight against 0.7%, and blood sugar, fitness and most risk factors improved.
Yet after a median of 9.6 years, heart attacks, strokes and heart deaths were not less common overall: 1.83 against 1.92 events per 100 person-years. The trial was stopped early because the gap was unlikely to grow.
A later analysis looked at how much weight each person lost. Those who lost at least 10% in the first year had about 21% fewer heart events over ten years than people whose weight stayed the same or rose. This is an observational finding, so it cannot prove cause, but it fits the idea that a larger, lasting loss counts.
What a cardiac diet for weight loss looks like
A cardiac diet for weight loss fills half your plate with vegetables or salad, a quarter with a lean protein and a quarter with whole grains, potatoes or beans. Add fruit for dessert, water as your main drink and a small amount of healthy oil or nuts each day.
- Vegetables and fruit: at every meal, fresh or frozen without sauces. They bring fibre, potassium and volume for very few calories.
- Beans, lentils and chickpeas: several times a week, as a main protein or added to stews and salads. Our page on vegetables and legumes for weight loss has ideas for every meal.
- Fish about twice a week: for example salmon, sardines, mackerel or cod. Other days, skinless chicken, eggs or beans; we compare portions on our page about meat and fish for weight loss.
- Whole grains: oats, wholemeal bread, whole-wheat pasta, bulgur or barley instead of refined versions, in a fist-sized portion.
- Fats in small amounts: a spoon of olive oil for cooking or dressing and a small handful of nuts. They are rich in calories, so measure them; our guide to nuts and healthy fats explains how much fits.
- Plain yogurt and milk: choose low-fat, unsweetened versions for protein and calcium.
- Rarely: processed meat, salty snacks, fried food, cakes, sweets and sugary drinks.
If you want to compare this with popular diets such as low-carb or DASH, our page on the best diet for weight loss sets them side by side. For a heart patient, the key is a pattern you can follow for years, not the name on it.
We do not recommend fish oil capsules, vitamins or other supplements for the heart. The guideline review we used advises people with coronary disease against non-prescribed supplements, because they have not been shown to prevent heart events. Ask your doctor before you take anything new.
Heart-healthy foods that also help you lose weight
The foods below protect the heart and fill you up for a modest number of calories. Values are approximate, per usual portion, calculated from the USDA SR Legacy food tables (cooked weight where stated). Use them as a guide, not as exact figures.
| Food | Portion | kcal | Protein (g) | Fibre (g) | Why it helps heart and weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oats (dry weight) | 40 g | 152 | 5 | 4 | Soluble fibre; a slow, filling breakfast |
| Lentils, cooked without salt | 150 g | 174 | 14 | 12 | Protein and fibre together, almost no fat |
| Chickpeas, cooked without salt | 150 g | 246 | 13 | 11 | Turns a salad or stew into a full meal |
| Kidney beans, cooked without salt | 150 g | 190 | 13 | 10 | Cheap protein that replaces fatty meat |
| Salmon, baked | 120 g | 247 | 27 | 0 | Omega-3 fats from food, high in protein |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained | 90 g | 187 | 22 | 0 | Omega-3 fats; choose low-salt tins when you can |
| Cod, baked | 150 g | 158 | 34 | 0 | Very lean protein for few calories |
| Chicken breast, roasted, no skin | 120 g | 198 | 37 | 0 | Lean protein that keeps you full |
| Plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt | 150 g | 88 | 15 | 0 | Protein for breakfast or a snack |
| Blueberries | 100 g | 57 | 1 | 2 | Sweet taste without added sugar |
| Apple with skin | 1 medium (150 g) | 78 | 0 | 4 | Crunchy, portable and filling |
| Broccoli, boiled without salt | 150 g | 52 | 4 | 5 | Large volume for very few calories |
| Spinach, raw | 60 g | 14 | 2 | 1 | Adds bulk to salads, omelettes and stews |
| Wholemeal bread | 1 slice (35 g) | 88 | 4 | 2 | More fibre than refined bread; check the salt label |
| Almonds, unsalted | 20 g (a small handful) | 116 | 4 | 3 | Healthy fats; filling in a small amount |
| Walnuts, unsalted | 20 g | 131 | 3 | 1 | Plant omega-3 fats; measure, do not pour |
| Olive oil | 1 tablespoon (13.5 g) | 119 | 0 | 0 | Replaces butter; one spoon is plenty for a meal |
Two patterns stand out. Beans and lentils give protein and fibre together for under 250 kcal a portion, and vegetables such as broccoli fill a third of the plate for about 50 kcal. Oils and nuts are healthy but dense, so a spoon or a small handful is the right amount.
Salt, the heart and the scale
Eating less salt lowers blood pressure, and it works even better alongside a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat milk products. For a heart patient, salt is one of the easiest changes with a measurable effect.
The DASH-Sodium trial fed 412 adults either a typical American diet or the DASH diet, each at three salt levels for a month at a time. Cutting salt lowered systolic blood pressure on both diets, and the combination worked best.
Compared with the typical diet at high salt, the DASH diet at low salt left systolic pressure about 7 mm Hg lower in people without high blood pressure. In people who already had high blood pressure, the gap was about 11.5 mm Hg.
What less salt does to your weight
Salt makes the body hold on to fluid, so cutting back often brings a small drop on the scale in the first week. That early drop is mostly fluid; the slower, steady loss after it is the part that counts. We explain the difference on our page about water and weight loss.
Salt also makes food more moreish. Crisps, salted nuts, processed meat and many takeaway dishes combine salt with fat, which makes it easy to eat more than you planned. Cutting them helps your heart and your calorie total at the same time.
Where the salt hides
Salt often hides in food you buy ready-made, not only in the salt shaker. Bread, cheese, stock cubes, sauces, soups in cans or cartons, ready meals, processed meat and takeaways are common sources.
- Read labels: compare brands of bread, cereal and sauces, and pick the lower-salt one.
- Cook from scratch more often: herbs, garlic, lemon, pepper and spices add flavour without sodium.
- Use stock and sauces sparingly: half a stock cube or a low-salt stock already makes a big difference.
- Rinse tinned beans and vegetables: it removes part of the salt from the liquid.
- Taste first: many people find that food with less salt soon tastes normal.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you use a salt substitute, so they can confirm it suits your heart condition and your medicines.
Losing weight after a heart attack or stent: when and how
After a heart attack, a stent or heart surgery, the first weeks are for recovery, not for dieting. Wait for your heart team to tell you when it is safe to aim for weight loss, and let cardiac rehab set the pace of your activity.
Most people can start eating the heart-healthy way straight away: more vegetables, fruit, beans and fish, and less salt and processed food. Smaller portions and fewer snacks come next, once your doctor agrees.
A crash diet is the wrong tool at this stage. Very low intakes can leave you tired, dizzy and short of protein when your body is healing. A steady pace of about 0.5 to 1 kg a week, or slower, is safer; our page on safe weight loss explains how to set it.
Feelings after a heart event
Fear, low mood and worry are very common after a heart attack. Some people eat more for comfort; others lose their appetite. Both are understandable, and both are worth mentioning to your doctor or rehab nurse.
Cardiac rehab programmes often include support for these feelings. Talking about them early makes it easier to build new eating and walking habits that last.
Cardiac rehab and weight loss: walking with support
Cardiac rehab is a supervised programme of exercise, education and support after a heart attack, a stent, bypass surgery or with stable angina. It protects your heart, and with more walking added it can also help you lose weight.
A Cochrane review of 85 trials with 23,430 people with coronary heart disease found that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation lowered the risk of a new heart attack and cut hospital admissions by about 42% over 6 to 12 months of follow-up. After more than three years, it was also linked to fewer heart deaths.
Why standard rehab brings little weight loss
Standard rehab sessions burn around 700 to 800 kcal a week. That is good for the heart, but too little to move the scale much on its own, even though more than 80% of people starting rehab carry extra weight.
A US trial tested a different approach in 74 overweight people with coronary heart disease. One group did standard rehab; the other walked longer and more often, aiming to burn 3,000 to 3,500 kcal a week through exercise. Both groups had advice on food.
After five months, the high-walking group had lost 8.2 kg against 3.7 kg, and twice as much body fat. Their waist, blood fats, blood pressure and insulin levels also improved more, and the weight loss was still clear at one year.
How to use this in your own rehab
- Ask your rehab team whether you can add extra walking minutes on the days between sessions.
- Build time, not speed: longer walks at a comfortable pace burn more energy than short, hard ones.
- Use the talk test: you should be able to speak in full sentences while you walk.
- Keep a simple log of minutes walked and how you felt, to show your team.
Our page on walking for weight loss has a full beginner plan. Before you go beyond what rehab advises, read the safety steps on our page about cardio for weight loss.
Losing weight with heart failure: a careful answer
With heart failure, weight loss can help some people but is not right for everyone. Only aim to lose weight if your heart team agrees, and let them tell you how fast, what to eat and how much salt and fluid suit you.
A trial at a US university hospital included 100 older adults with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, the type in which the heart’s pumping strength is preserved. Over 20 weeks they followed a calorie-reduced diet, supervised exercise, both, or no programme.
The diet group lost about 7% of their weight, the exercise group about 3% and the combined group about 10%. Both diet and exercise improved how much oxygen people could use during effort, and the two together worked best. Quality-of-life scores did not change significantly, and there were no serious study-related problems.
Why care is needed
In heart failure, and in coronary disease too, weight lost without trying is linked to worse outcomes, and it often includes a loss of muscle. Any weight change you did not plan should be checked by your doctor.
Salt and fluid limits with heart failure are personal and come from your heart team, not from general advice. Our page on swollen legs and weight loss explains ankle swelling in more detail, and our page on obesity and shortness of breath explains breathlessness.
Weigh yourself every morning if your team asks you to. Weight that rises fast over a few days is usually fluid, not fat, and it means you need to contact your team quickly.
The “obesity paradox”: does extra weight protect the heart?
No. Some studies find that heavier people with heart disease live as long as, or longer than, slimmer patients, but this does not mean extra weight protects the heart. Planned weight loss with good food and walking remains the safer route.
A review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology describes this “obesity paradox” in high blood pressure, heart failure and coronary disease. It also sets out how obesity harms the heart and why the paradox needs careful reading.
A later review points to fitness and muscle as key parts of the puzzle. People with a larger body often also carry more muscle, and muscle and fitness are strong predictors of survival with heart disease.
The same review notes that weight lost without trying, often because of illness, is linked to worse outcomes, whatever someone weighed at the start. Studies that mix planned and unplanned weight loss can therefore make lighter patients look worse off.
The practical message is simple. Lose weight slowly and on purpose, keep your muscles working with walking and light muscle exercises, and eat enough protein. That way you lose mostly fat and protect your fitness.
Cardiac diet myths: the 3-day diet, detox soups and supplements
Most “cardiac diet” plans you find online are not linked to any hospital or trial. The best known, the “3-day cardiac diet” or “Sacred Heart soup diet”, is a short, very low-calorie fad, not advice from a heart clinic.
| Myth | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| The 3-day cardiac diet melts kilos fast | Mostly fluid is lost; there is no trial behind it, and it is unsuitable for heart patients |
| A detox soup or juice cleanses the arteries | No food cleans arteries; the long-term eating pattern is what matters |
| Supplements protect the heart while you diet | No proof of fewer heart events; the coronary guideline review advises against non-prescribed supplements |
| Heart patients must avoid all fat | In CORDIOPREV, a Mediterranean diet with olive oil beat a low-fat diet; small amounts of healthy fat fit |
| Extra weight is protective, so do not lose it | The “obesity paradox” is largely explained by fitness, muscle and illness; planned loss is still advised |
If you are tempted by a quick fix, ask yourself whether you could eat this way in a year’s time. A cardiac diet only helps your heart if it lasts.
A day on a cardiac diet for weight loss
Talk to your doctor or heart team first before you follow any eating example. The day below comes to about 1,620 kcal, 90 g of protein and 45 g of fibre; it is an example to show the pattern, not a personal plan.
| Meal | What | Approx. kcal | Salt tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 40 g oats cooked in water, 150 g plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt, 100 g blueberries, 10 g walnuts | 360 | No salt needed in the oats |
| Lunch | Lentil and tomato stew (150 g cooked lentils, carrot, onion, 150 g tomatoes, 1 tsp olive oil) with 1 slice of wholemeal bread | 395 | Flavour with cumin, garlic and lemon instead of stock cubes |
| Snack | 1 apple and 15 g unsalted almonds | 165 | Unsalted nuts only |
| Dinner | 120 g baked salmon, 200 g potatoes boiled in their skins, 150 g broccoli, a side salad with 1 tsp olive oil | 530 | Lemon, dill and black pepper on the fish |
| Evening | 200 ml semi-skimmed milk and 1 orange | 170 | Naturally low in salt |
On other days, swap the salmon for chicken, cod, eggs or beans, and the lentils for chickpeas. Your own calorie needs depend on your size, age, activity and heart condition, so ask your doctor or a dietitian what total suits you. Our free eating plan gives a full week of filling, lower-salt meals.
A 12-week plan: cardiac diet and walking, step by step
Talk to your doctor or heart team first, and start this plan only after cardiac rehab or with their clear go-ahead. Each step adds one food change and a little more walking, so your heart and your habits adjust together.
| Weeks | Food step | Walking | Check-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Swap salty snacks and processed meat for fruit, plain yogurt or unsalted nuts | 2 × 10 minutes of easy walking a day | Note how you feel during and after each walk |
| 3–4 | Half the plate vegetables at lunch and dinner | 2 × 12–15 minutes a day | Weigh once a week, same time and scale |
| 5–6 | Beans or lentils in at least three meals a week | 20–25 minutes once a day, plus a short second walk | Compare your blood pressure readings, if your doctor asked you to measure |
| 7–8 | Fish twice a week; olive oil measured with a spoon | 30 minutes on most days | Ask your team whether you may walk a little faster |
| 9–10 | Cook from scratch most evenings; read salt labels | 30–40 minutes on most days | Review your progress at your next appointment |
| 11–12 | Smaller second helpings; sugary drinks replaced by water | 40–50 minutes on most days, in one or two walks | Agree your next goal with your doctor |
Slow down if you are more tired than usual, and repeat a stage as often as you need. Progress at your own pace is still progress, and the walks count even on days when the scale does not move.
When to call emergency services or see your doctor
Some symptoms need help straight away, whatever your plan says. The heart failure patient service of the European Society of Cardiology advises calling for help immediately for the first three signs below.
Call your local emergency number at once for chest pain or pressure that does not go away with rest or your prescribed spray, breathlessness at rest or severe breathlessness that does not settle, or fainting. Do not drive yourself to hospital.
Contact your heart team the same day if you have heart failure and your weight rises by more than 1–2 kg over a few days (the patient service names more than 2 kg in 3 days), or your team’s own limit, or if your ankles, legs or belly swell suddenly. This is usually fluid, not fat.
See your doctor soon if you get more breathless than usual on effort, need more pillows to sleep, feel your heart racing, or lose weight without trying. Our doctor visit checklist helps you bring the right questions about food, walking and weight.
Your heart medicines, blood tests and any changes to treatment are decisions for your cardiologist and you. Never stop, skip or change a heart medicine because you are losing weight; your doctor will review doses when needed.
Free help to lose weight with good food and walking
We help people lose weight and get healthier with good food, suitable exercise and walking, at a pace that suits a heart condition. Everything is free and works alongside the care from your cardiologist and rehab team.
- A free eating plan: filling, lower-salt meals with vegetables, beans, fish and whole grains. Ask for your free eating plan.
- Free workout videos: 150 videos from gentle Start to Build and Strong, for use once your heart team agrees. Get the free workout videos.
- A free video meeting (in English): talk through your first steps and the questions for your heart team. Book a free video meeting.
- The free Obesity Foundation Club: your own account to log your walks, weight and meals over time. Join the Club.
We are not doctors. Questions about your heart, your tests or your medicines belong with your own care team, and we will always point you back to them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cardiac diet, and can it help me lose weight?
A cardiac diet is a heart-protecting eating pattern, not one fixed menu: mostly plants, beans, whole grains and fish, a little olive oil and nuts, and little salt, processed meat or sugary drinks. These foods fill you up for few calories, so slightly smaller portions help you lose weight. Ask your heart team to adjust it.
How much weight should I lose to help my heart?
No single number fits everyone, so agree a goal with your doctor. In a large diabetes trial, people who lost 10% or more in the first year had about a fifth fewer heart events later than people whose weight stayed the same or rose. A first goal of about 5% is realistic.
What can I eat after a heart attack if I want to lose weight?
Build meals around vegetables, fruit, beans and lentils, whole grains, fish and skinless chicken, with plain yogurt, a few nuts or a little olive oil. Cook with herbs instead of salt and keep processed meat, takeaways and sugary drinks rare. Wait for your heart team’s go-ahead before cutting calories, and join cardiac rehab if offered.
Is it safe to lose weight with heart failure?
For some people with heart failure and obesity, planned weight loss with supervised exercise improves how much they can do, as a trial in older adults showed. For others, especially with a weak heart pump, losing weight without trying is a warning sign. Only lose weight with your heart team’s agreement, and follow their salt and fluid advice.
Does cardiac rehab help you lose weight?
Standard cardiac rehab protects the heart well but usually brings only a little weight loss, because the exercise sessions burn a modest amount of energy. In a trial of overweight heart patients, a rehab programme built on longer, more frequent walking roughly doubled weight loss. Ask your rehab team whether you can add more walking minutes safely.
What is the obesity paradox, and does it mean extra weight protects the heart?
Some studies find that heavier people with heart disease live as long or longer than slimmer patients. Researchers think fitness, muscle mass and weight lost through illness explain much of this, not a protective effect of fat. It is not a reason to keep extra weight; planned, steady loss with good food and walking is still the safer path.
Sources
- Ma C, Avenell A, Bolland M et al. – Effects of weight loss interventions for adults who are obese on mortality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ (2017)
- Look AHEAD Research Group, Wing RR et al. – Cardiovascular effects of intensive lifestyle intervention in type 2 diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine (2013)
- Look AHEAD Research Group, Gregg EW et al. – Association of the magnitude of weight loss and changes in physical fitness with long-term cardiovascular disease outcomes in overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes: a post-hoc analysis of the Look AHEAD randomised clinical trial. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (2016)
- de Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL et al. – Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study. Circulation (1999)
- Delgado-Lista J, Alcala-Diaz JF, Torres-Peña JD et al. – Long-term secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet (CORDIOPREV): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet (2022)
- Khorsandi M, Blumenthal RS, Blaha MJ, Kohli P – The ABCs of the 2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline for the management of patients with chronic coronary disease. Clinical Cardiology (2024)
- Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM et al. – Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. New England Journal of Medicine (2001)
- Dibben G, Faulkner J, Oldridge N et al. – Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2021)
- Ades PA, Savage PD, Toth MJ et al. – High-calorie-expenditure exercise: a new approach to cardiac rehabilitation for overweight coronary patients. Circulation (2009)
- Kitzman DW, Brubaker P, Morgan T et al. – Effect of caloric restriction or aerobic exercise training on peak oxygen consumption and quality of life in obese older patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA (2016)
- Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Ventura HO – Obesity and cardiovascular disease: risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2009)
- Carbone S, Canada JM, Billingsley HE et al. – Obesity paradox in cardiovascular disease: where do we stand? Vascular Health and Risk Management (2019)
- Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (heartfailurematters.org) – Heart failure red flags: warning signs checklist
- Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (heartfailurematters.org) – Rapid weight gain: a key heart failure warning sign
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service – FoodData Central: SR Legacy (food composition values per 100 g)